Receptacle closure



Aug. 10, 1937. J. H. DE FREES RECEPTACLE CLOSURE Filed Nov. 29, 1935 Patented Aug. 10, 1937 Racarracta cLosUaE Joseph H. De Frees, Warren, Pa., assignor to Pennsylvania Furnace & Iron Co., Warren, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November-.29, 1935, Serial No. 51,986

4 Claims.

any place where a closure is necessary for an 4very large venting opening opening` to a receptacle for holding gasoline or other volatile liquids.

f The object of the invention is to provide a simple and eiicient closure which presents a good appearance from the outside, as when it is used on a truck tank body, which is strong and durable and can be made and assembled at relatively low cost, whichprovides all the usual safety vents and openings, and which in addition provides Aa. n vfor sudden rise of pressure within the tank.

-A further object of the invention is to provide a closure of this kind in which the seal around the edge of the large opening is produced by a relatively large flexible disc which not only holds the sealing washer to its seat but also is effective to produce yielding compression for releasably holding the closure in its closed position.

Further objects of the invention are in part obvious and in part will appear more in detail hereinafter.

In the drawing Fig. 1 represents a sectional elevation through one form of-closure embodying the invention, the dottedlines illustrating some rof the parts in open position;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional elevation on the lline 2 2, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional elevation on the line 3-3, Fig. l.

The closure shown is adapted for closing the opening in a ring or neck I which may be of any suitable shape, such as round or oval, designed for connection to or to form a part of the tank or receptacle not shown. In the drawing the neck I is a short cylindrical member assumed to be .welded or otherwise fastened to the tank or receptacle.v The upper edge of said ring is plain and cut across square to form a seat for sealing purposes, as will appear. In the case of a. iilling opening this ring may be about eight inches or so in diameter, and for a manhole the ring may be oval and say lten inches across one way and fteen inches across the other way, although the invention is not limited to any particular dimensions.

Said neck is provided` with one or more lugs 2 to receive a hinge pin 3 passing through a cover 4, which is of inverted pan shape and is a strong, stili, sturdyL member made, for example, of cast iron or the like. Its outer edge portion or skirt la depends below the upper edge of the neck and channel is larger in diameter than the neck so as to form an annular opening 4b between the neck and cover. Opposite the hinge said cover is provided with an outwardly projecting lug member 5 to receive the clamping effect of the short end of a hand lever 6 pivoted at 1 ln a channel shaped link 8 pivoted at 9 to lugs I0 fastened to the ring I. The long end of the hand lever is of bar form (usually of ornamental design) and extends clear across the top of the cover l when the latter is closed, and its lower edge is curved to ilt said cover. The short end of the hand lever is provided with avcam nose Il which extends outwardly from the axis of .pivot l alittle farther than the surfaces I2 on either side of said nose.

At its center the cover is provided with a thickened boss or inner projection I3 pierced to provide a center opening into which is threaded the base I4 of a. suitable tank truck venting device,

devices of this kind being already on 'the market a for this purpose. These venting devices usually provide a-passage from the atmosphere inwardly to supply air to replace the liquid withdrawn from the tank, a vent fromthe inside of the tank to atmosphere to provide some relief for pressure within the tank, and a fusible member to open an additional vent in case of fire. The particular form of such vent, except as embodied in the organizations hereinafter claimed, is more or less immaterial and forms no part of the present invention. The drawing, however, illustrates a vent inwhich said body portion has a threaded reduced lower end I5 and a through opening or I6 communicating by pressure relief opening 2| and vacuum relief opening 22 with openings 23 to the atmosphere. Opening 2l is closed by an annular metal valve 25 and opening 22 by a. similar valve 25, said valves being held to their seats by gravity (the weight of the metal) or by a. spring and the former being designed to open a. vent for the escape of pressure and the latter to open a passage for the entrance of air. 28 is a plug of fusible metal designed to melt upon the occurrence of high temperature. as in a fire,

and open an additional vent.

The threaded reduced lower end l5 oi the u below it a dished spring disc 33 of thin sheet metal held in place by a nut 34.

The parts are so designed and proportioned that when the cover is closed, as in full lines in Fig. 1, the peripheral portion of the spring disc 30 is flexed upwardly, so that it is slightly concave upwardly. Therefore, it serves as a spring exerting a tendency to hold the sealing disc 3l tightly to its seat and to also elevate the central portion of the solid cover 4, so that the latter is pressed upwardly, its lug 5 being pressed up against the cam nose I l on the handle 6 and tending to turn the handle clockwise in Fig. 1 about its hinge pin 'l and yieldingly maintain the cover in closed position. The spring pressure necessary for this purpose, however, is not so great that it cannot be overcome by increase of pressure within the tank. Therefore, upon the occurrence of a rapid rise of pressure within the tank which is not readily taken care of by the relatively small vent through the opening 2 l, as when a tank truck, after standing for some time in a cool or shady spot is suddenly taken out into a heated atmosphere or brilliant sunshine in the summer, or upon the application, accidentally or otherwise, of heat from a source to the tank, the edge of the disc 30 rises and a very short rise of the metal provides a very large venting area around the edge of the disc but nevertheless beneath the cover 4 and through annular opening 4b through which gas may escape to relieve the pressure. Normal venting or breathing, both inwardly and outwardly, is through the disc 30, by way of the openings 22 and 2l, but again beneath cover '4 and by way of annular opening 4b, as will be readily understood.

To open the closure, the end of the handle 6 is grasped and pulled up, the cam nose Il at rst pressing down on the cover lug 5 until the nose passes beyond the pivot 1, whereupon the upward pressure of the disc 30 assists in further moving the handle to the left in Fig. 1 and releasing the cover from the handle lock.

If desired, suitable meansmay be provided for insuring proper registration of the cover and neck I, such as by providing interengaging lugs 35, 36 on the disc 30 and inner surface of cover 4 respectively. Such lugs may not be necessary on relatively smaller sizes, such as for a filling opening, but may be employed for larger size covers, such as are used for manholes or the like.

In the arrangement described, the large vent provided by the edge of the disc 30 is secured by bending or flexing of the metal itself and not by the relative motion of any cover parts with reference to each other. Again, the same resilient or spring action not only provides an emergency vent but also assists in holding the sealing parts to their seats. At the same time, the large venting disc of the present invention is capable of use with and is actually assembled with and supported by any suitable or standard smaller venting device now available. All vents, excepting only that through the fusible plug are beneath the cover 4 and for all practical purposes said cover is imperforate'and consequently free from deposits of condensed liquid as when the vent is through the cover itself.

What I claim is:

1. A closure for a receptacle neck, comprising a strong, rigid, imperforate cover member hinged to said neck and immovably supporting a depending venting device, the peripheral portion of-said cover member extending outwardly beyond the edge of said neck and being spaced therefrom to provide an annular passage, a flexible resilient sealing disc xedly mounted on said device and engaging the neck end, means for releasably holding the closure in closed position on the neck end with said disc flexed under compression, and said device being formed to provide a normal relief channel extending through said disc beneath said cover member and communicating with said annular passage.

2. A closure of the character described in claim 1, said cover member being provided with an emergency through passage communicating with the relief channel in said device, and a fusible plug lling and normally closing said emergency passage.

3. In combination, a receptacle neck, an inverted dished imperforate cover member formed of strong rigid material hinged to said neck and having a depending skirt surrounding and spaced from the neck to form an annular passage, a flexible resilient sealing disc iixedly mounted interiorly of said cover and having its peripheral portion engaging said neck, cover locking means, and means providing a. normal relief channel extending through said disc independently of said cover member and communicating with said passage.

4. In combination, a receptacle neck, an inverted dished imperforate cover member formed of strong rigid material hinged to said neck and having adepending skirt surrounding and spaced from the neck to form an annular passage, a

*flexible resilient sealing disc fixedly mounted interiorly of said cover and having its peripheral portion engaging said neck, cover locking means, and separate valve means providing pressure and vacuum relief channels extending through said disc independently of said cover member and each communicating with said annular passage.

JOSEPH H. DE FREES. 

